European
Polecats have long cylindrical bodies, with short legs, short
blunt faces and small, rounded ears. They have buff-coloured
underfur, and dark brown guard hairs covering the body. Polecats
have white markings on the muzzle and around the eyes and ears.
Their tails are short and furry. Head and body length: male:
35-46cm, female: 30-40cm. Weight: 600-900g.

They
mainly hunt rabbits, small rodents and birds, but polecats also
feed on amphibians, carrion and bird eggs. They stalk their
prey, and after seizing it, they kill with a quick bite to the
neck.

The
size of polecat ranges vary according to habitat, season and
food availability, but the mean area is 100 hectares. They build
dens among rocks and tree roots, or sometimes in old rabbit
burrows. Polecats are solitary and are predominantly nocturnal.
They produce a strong smell from their anal glands that is used
to mark their territories.

They
breed once a year, producing litters of 5-8 kits after a gestation
period of 40-42 days. The kits are weaned after 4 weeks.